‘Bubble’ Caul Baby

by January Harshe on March 1, 2013

I want to share my birth pictures of my caul baby. These were taken by one of my midwives. The pictures show the progression of my daughter coming out with a bubble of amniotic sac coming out before her head. My midwife broke the sac once her head had emerged and we pulled her up to my chest together!

After birth it looked like a jelly fish in the water with its texture and almost-glowing quality. So neat to see!

Edited to Add from the midwife:

“I opened the sac so that she would be ready to take her first breath. I could have done it after she was out of the water but since they take that first breath as soon as they come to the surface into the air, I didn’t want to delay that breath by opening the sac after she was out of the water. I also didn’t want the bag to collapse against her face which could make it harder for me to grasp and open (especially with gloves on). I felt it would be better and easier to do before she was lifted up to you so that we weren’t fumbling with the sac at the same time you were receiving her.

I could have waited until her entire body was out of you and she was still under water, but that would have slightly delayed bringing her to the surface, which I don’t like to do. Water birth is great for many reasons but babies are meant to breath immediately after birth–it’s best not to delay that”

I have never understood why my mother thought she’d given birth to a “horrible jelly.” (I was born at home in London, England, during an air raid.) Then, she told me often, the midwife snatched me up, whisked me away and brought me back next morning as a “real baby.” At last I’ve figured it out: I must have been born en caul. Now I see how amazing that was and instead of feeling I was rejected from the beginning, I look back over the decades and see how my inner strength and luck – as in all the superstitions / legends / myths / stories of en caul babies – have got me through life.
The midwife, too, said (apparently) that if “this baby could survive this, she could survive anything.” Too true.
How precious! Thank you for this site.
With heartfelt love for all mothers.
trysh A-R